French authorities have detained an Iranian citizen after he posted pro-Palestine remarks on social media pertaining to the war on Gaza, in a case his lawyer has condemned as "political", reported The Guardian citing a police source.

Bashir Biazar was detained in Dijon, eastern France, and is presently in administrative imprisonment in Metz, further north, as a precaution against probable deportation.

In Paris, a police source who asked not to be identified told AFP that "expulsion proceedings" had begun against Biazar "in particular because he publicly made anti-French remarks," without detailing what they were.

Biazar has been active on social media in recent months, making strong statements in support of Palestine during the war on Gaza.

Rachid Lemoudaa, a French lawyer representing Biazar, told AFP that "There is nothing, in terms of law, that justifies this measure. Bashir Biazar expressed himself on his Instagram account, as anyone could do freely in a state governed by the rule of law," adding that he believes the issue is "political, and politics has no place in law."

Kazem Gharibabadi, president of the Iranian High Council for Human Rights, stated on X that the arrest of an Iranian citizen by French police for defending the suffering Palestinian people is a problem for France's human rights record.

تصمیم غیرقانونی و مغایر حقوق بشر دادگاه فرانسه، اخراج بشیر بی آزار ظرف ۲۸ روز است. با توجه به تهیه بلیط برگشت و عدم منع قانونی خروج، چرا فرانسه همچنان به بازداشت خودسرانه این تبعه ایرانی ادامه می دهد؟قویا این رویه را محکوم می کنیم. پیگیریها برای آزادی هرچه زودتر ایشان ادامه دارد. pic.twitter.com/z7n3bOeBhb

— Gharibabadi (@Gharibabadi) June 17, 2024

French Deputy suspended for waving Palestine flag in National Assembly

In late May, France's lower house of parliament suspended a deputy from the Les Insoumis (LFI) party for 15 days after he waved a Palestinian flag in the National Assembly, causing proceedings to halt for about an hour.

"This is not tolerable," declared National Assembly President Yael Braun-Pivet as she suspended the session and excluded Deputy Sebastien Delogu. Delogu's deputy pay was also halved for two months.

🔴⚡️ @SebastienDelogu a été exclu 15 jours pour avoir brandi le drapeau Palestinien à l'Assemblée.

C'est la plus haute sanction possible pour un député, la même qu'a reçu le raciste De Fournas.

Nous ne cesserons jamais de dénoncer le génocide en cours à Gaza.#SoutienDelogu ❤️ pic.twitter.com/tzdmew0aJZ

— Groupe parlementaire La France Insoumise - NUPES (@FiAssemblee) May 28, 2024

The incident occurred as Delogu waved the flag in solidarity with Palestinians amid the ongoing Israeli genocide on the Gaza Strip, which has so far claimed the lives of over 36,000 people.

"I waved the Palestinian flag in the National Assembly ... because as I speak, France sells weapons, sells parts to supply the Israeli army," Delogu told reporters. "There is a genocide going on there." 

Delogu called the suspension "worthy of an authoritarian regime."

France, following in the footsteps of many Western countries, seems to be equating antisemitism with anti-Zionism in order to delegitimize any bid to undermine the occupation.

In November, Paris Police Prefect Laurent Nunez declared that 130 people in Paris and its metropolitan area had been detained for "antisemitic" offenses as a result of a rise in pro-Palestine protests.

Since then, France has seen heavy clashes as pro-Palestine demonstrators continue to protest and chant slogans against French President Emmanuel Macron for his stances on the ongoing war on the Strip.